I. The Cultural/Spiritual Situation In Corinth
A. Can Christians Eat Meat That Has Been Sacrificed To Idols?
1. The people of Corinth made animal sacrifices to their false gods (idols).
2. A portion of the meat was given to the temple priests where the idols were worshipped.
3. The remaining portion was sold at local meat market or restaurant.
4. The dilemma- Should Christians eat this meat that had been sacrificed to idols?
B. Modern Day Parallels For Us (Things That Christians Argue About)
1. Regarding COVID-19…
a. Is it wrong to get a vaccinated? Am I giving in to the government’s control of my life?
b. If I don’t get vaccinated, am I being selfish and uncaring about others?
2. Regarding politics…
a. Do I support a political party that doesn’t seem to care about helping the poor, especially when the Bible tells me to treat my neighbor as myself?
b. Do I support a government that is pro-choice, and uses tax dollars to fund abortion?
3. Questions that we ask (ought to) ourselves…
a. “How much should I let other people’s views control my actions?”
b. “Must I limit my liberty by the narrower, more restricted views of other Christians?”
II. There Were Some Who Were Called “Weak” (Spiritually Feeble)
1. V. 7a They didn’t have as much knowledge as other Christians. Ignorant about some issues.
2. Vs. 7b, 12 They had weak consciences and were more easily stumbled over certain issues.
3. V. 9 They were spiritually offended over things that other Christians accepted.
4. V. 10 They can easily be influenced to violate their own conscience by watching others.
5. V. 11 They can be influenced to violate their own conscience and suffer spiritual damage.
III. Those With “Knowledge
A. Everyone Has (Some Kind Of) Knowledge V. 1
1. We all think we are right, most of the time. Sometimes we are right about certain things.
2. Other times we think we are right but are wrong in our understanding.
3. It is often true, that we think we are correct, when we are actually wrong.
B. Knowledge Is Incomplete V. 2
1. At some point, we are incomplete in our knowledge.
2. We cannot see the total picture concerning other people’s lives.
3. We cannot always see what God’s plans are for someone.
4. We usually see things only from our point of view.
5. We analyze things based upon our experiences or preferences.
6. We come to conclusions based upon partial information.
C. Knowledge Can Puff Up V. 1
1. “Knowledge” can create pride. We feel superior. It causes us to look down on others.
2. The “knowledgeable” Christians in Corinth had their facts right, but their hearts were wrong. Knowledgeable people are often right on the facts, but wrong in the heart.
3. It does not make any difference which side you are on, on the liberty side or the restricted side, knowledge tends to create a sense of pride and disdain for others.
D. The Ones With Knowledge Were Actually Correct
1. Vs. 4-6 Paul said that they “knew” that idols were nothing; there is only one God.
2. So in this case, there was a group of Christians that had a correct view, and others didn’t.
E. Those With “Knowledge” Sometimes Don’t Build Others Up
1. If we always give in to our supposed superior knowledge, we will spend all our days trying to win arguments, instead of building people up.
2. Not wrong to teach someone the truth or correct them. That is loving.
3. Paul speaks of knowledge that disregards a weaker brother
F. Loving God Is More Important Than Being Right V. 3
1. Loving your weaker brother comes from the heart of God
2. 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
3. Paul speaks of love that will not stumble a weaker brother.
4. Loving even weaker ones, is a sign that we are known by God, and that we know Him.
IV. The Knowledgeable Christians Vs. The Weak Christians
A. What The Knowledgeable Christians Were Right About Vs. 4-6
1. Idols are false. There is only one true God for the Christian. No reason to worry.
2. How can you worship something that doesn’t exist?
3. We are free to eat that meat offered to the idols.
4. We should enjoy our freedoms, no matter what people think!
B. What The “Weaker” Christians Believed
1. Eating sacrificial meat would cause you to be in league with a false god.
2. “If a Christian eats meat offered to an idol is he not participating in some way in the worship of that idol?” Condoning, etc.
3. As a consequence, that Christian is giving a false testimony; he is not clearly declaring that Christ has substituted for all idols everywhere.
V. What Then Shall We Do?
A. Realize That Some Christians Are Weak
1. Realize that you used to be weak in some areas.
3. Realize that you are still probably weak in conscience in some areas
4. There is nothing wrong about that. We grow in our understanding of the Lord
B. How To Treat The Issue
1. In many cases, it isn’t even an important issue. V. 8. Food really doesn’t matter.
2. A brother’s conscience is a very important matter.
3. A weak Christian’s conscience is more important than your liberty to do whatever.
4. Defer to his position. Don’t demand your rights. Don’t make them feel rejected by you.
C. Realize What Is At Stake
1. To sin against your brother, is to sin against Jesus. V. 12
2. Is you having a glass of wine really worth all that?
3. Knowledge sees only it’s own desire. Love evaluates the situation rightly.
4. Your obligation is to help, not hurt your brother.
5. Ray Stedman- That momentary indulgence is a trivial thing; it is not important; you can set it aside if there is good reason to do so. But compared to that, a brother’s growth is significant and very important. To restrain yourself, therefore, for the sake of another is a gracious, godly, Christian thing to do. That is the clear-sighted evaluation that love brings into the picture.
D. There Is An Exception
1. This passage deals with not stumbling weaker brothers.
2. It doesn’t talk about people who just don’t like the way we live.
A story from Dr. H.A. Ironside-
Dr. H. A. Ironside, tells of an incident that is illustrative of this. On one occasion he was at a picnic of Christians, and there was present a man who had been converted from Islam. A girl brought a basket of sandwiches up to this man and asked if he would like some. He said, “What kind do you have?” “Oh,” she said, “I’m afraid all we have left are ham or pork.” He said, “Don’t you have any beef?” She replied, “No, they are all gone.” “Well,” he said, “then I won’t have any.” She, knowing that he was a Christian, said to him, “Well, sir, I am really surprised. Don’t you know that, as a Christian, you are freed from all these food restrictions, and that you can eat pork or ham or whatever, if you like?” He said, “Yes, I know that. I know I am free to eat pork, but I am also free not to eat it. I’m still involved with my family back in the Middle East, and I know that when I go home once a year, and I come up to my father’s door, the first question he will ask me is, ‘Have those infidels taught you to eat the filthy hog meat yet?’ If I have to say to him, ‘Yes, father,’ I will be banished from that home and have no further witness in it. But if I can say, as I have always been able to say, ‘No, father, no pork has ever passed my lips,’ then I have admittance to the family circle and I am free to tell them of the joy I have found in Jesus Christ. Therefore I am free to eat, or I am free not to eat, as the case may be.”
2. A portion of the meat was given to the temple priests where the idols were worshipped.
3. The remaining portion was sold at local meat market or restaurant.
4. The dilemma- Should Christians eat this meat that had been sacrificed to idols?
b. If I don’t get vaccinated, am I being selfish and uncaring about others?
b. Do I support a government that is pro-choice, and uses tax dollars to fund abortion?
b. “Must I limit my liberty by the narrower, more restricted views of other Christians?”
2. Vs. 7b, 12 They had weak consciences and were more easily stumbled over certain issues.
3. V. 9 They were spiritually offended over things that other Christians accepted.
4. V. 10 They can easily be influenced to violate their own conscience by watching others.
5. V. 11 They can be influenced to violate their own conscience and suffer spiritual damage.
2. Other times we think we are right but are wrong in our understanding.
3. It is often true, that we think we are correct, when we are actually wrong.
2. We cannot see the total picture concerning other people’s lives.
3. We cannot always see what God’s plans are for someone.
4. We usually see things only from our point of view.
5. We analyze things based upon our experiences or preferences.
6. We come to conclusions based upon partial information.
2. The “knowledgeable” Christians in Corinth had their facts right, but their hearts were wrong. Knowledgeable people are often right on the facts, but wrong in the heart.
3. It does not make any difference which side you are on, on the liberty side or the restricted side, knowledge tends to create a sense of pride and disdain for others.
2. So in this case, there was a group of Christians that had a correct view, and others didn’t.
2. Not wrong to teach someone the truth or correct them. That is loving.
3. Paul speaks of knowledge that disregards a weaker brother
2. 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
3. Paul speaks of love that will not stumble a weaker brother.
4. Loving even weaker ones, is a sign that we are known by God, and that we know Him.
2. How can you worship something that doesn’t exist?
3. We are free to eat that meat offered to the idols.
4. We should enjoy our freedoms, no matter what people think!
2. “If a Christian eats meat offered to an idol is he not participating in some way in the worship of that idol?” Condoning, etc.
3. As a consequence, that Christian is giving a false testimony; he is not clearly declaring that Christ has substituted for all idols everywhere.
3. Realize that you are still probably weak in conscience in some areas
4. There is nothing wrong about that. We grow in our understanding of the Lord
2. A brother’s conscience is a very important matter.
3. A weak Christian’s conscience is more important than your liberty to do whatever.
4. Defer to his position. Don’t demand your rights. Don’t make them feel rejected by you.
2. Is you having a glass of wine really worth all that?
3. Knowledge sees only it’s own desire. Love evaluates the situation rightly.
4. Your obligation is to help, not hurt your brother.
5. Ray Stedman- That momentary indulgence is a trivial thing; it is not important; you can set it aside if there is good reason to do so. But compared to that, a brother’s growth is significant and very important. To restrain yourself, therefore, for the sake of another is a gracious, godly, Christian thing to do. That is the clear-sighted evaluation that love brings into the picture.
2. It doesn’t talk about people who just don’t like the way we live.
Dr. H. A. Ironside, tells of an incident that is illustrative of this. On one occasion he was at a picnic of Christians, and there was present a man who had been converted from Islam. A girl brought a basket of sandwiches up to this man and asked if he would like some. He said, “What kind do you have?” “Oh,” she said, “I’m afraid all we have left are ham or pork.” He said, “Don’t you have any beef?” She replied, “No, they are all gone.” “Well,” he said, “then I won’t have any.” She, knowing that he was a Christian, said to him, “Well, sir, I am really surprised. Don’t you know that, as a Christian, you are freed from all these food restrictions, and that you can eat pork or ham or whatever, if you like?” He said, “Yes, I know that. I know I am free to eat pork, but I am also free not to eat it. I’m still involved with my family back in the Middle East, and I know that when I go home once a year, and I come up to my father’s door, the first question he will ask me is, ‘Have those infidels taught you to eat the filthy hog meat yet?’ If I have to say to him, ‘Yes, father,’ I will be banished from that home and have no further witness in it. But if I can say, as I have always been able to say, ‘No, father, no pork has ever passed my lips,’ then I have admittance to the family circle and I am free to tell them of the joy I have found in Jesus Christ. Therefore I am free to eat, or I am free not to eat, as the case may be.”